Category Archives: Uncategorized

I pedaled over to my local coffee rendezvous and chatted, the Jets, the Mets and one of the coffee addicts asked, “What day is Election Day?” I jumped in, “November 5th,” and the addict responded, “I’ll be out of town, my vote doesn’t matter, NY is a blue state.” I had to restrain myself. RepublicansContinue reading “Let’s Take Back the House- “Down Ballot” Candidates Really, Really Matter”

The Tuesday after Labor Day, teachers, shuffling into schools across the city. . A combination of anxiety, waking up in the middle the night as the “day” approaches and a relief, the “day” arrives. In my school, a high school, bagels, cream cheese and coffee, complements of the Parents Association. A few shrieks of joy as aContinue reading “Another Year: A Quiet School Opening Awaiting a Consequential Election”

 The online daily news site, City and State has a lengthy essay in praise of  Michael Mulgrew, Mulgtrew isn’t afraid to pivot … in his decade and a half atop one of the city’s most influential public unions, Mulgrew has displayed shrewd political instincts and a willingness to pivot to that he’s positioned between hisContinue reading “Michael Mulgrew: “Shrewd Political Instincts and a Willingness to Pivot””

Many years ago Ed Gottlieb was a neighbor, a retired elementary school principal from a school on the Upper West Side and chair of the War Resisters League, a conscientious objector during World War 2, a dedicated pacifist and opponent of the war in Vietnam, as well as a poet. If you walked around hisContinue reading “School Reform Should Be Bottom Up, Driven By the Collaboration Among School Leaders, Classroom Teachers and Their Union”

City and State is a daily online site that summarizes and links to City and State political news and sponsors the Education Summit, this year State Commissioner Rosa as keynote speaker and panels including UFT president Michael Mulgrew and Dan Weisberg, Deputy Chancellor with hundreds in the audience, a wide range, staffers, not-for-profits, all shades of advocates,Continue reading “City and State Education Summit: Preparing for the Challenges of the Next School Year”

 The opposition caucuses in the UFT are gearing up for theelection, and seemingly forgetting what election will determine the future ofthe union, The November election is a generational election, the very existenceof public education is at stake, the union leadership election in the springpales in comparison. The strategy of the opposition caucuses seem to beContinue reading “Is “Preparing to Strike” Assisted Suicide?”

An opposition caucus in the UFT vigorously favors the proposed NYS Health Bill, also called Medicare for All, the bill, the first in the nation would enroll all New Yorkers in a NYS Medicare-like program.  The bill, originally introduced in 1992  has been reintroduced with changes many times over the years, Dick Gottfried, who chairedContinue reading “Should Unions Be Wary of the Proposed NYS Health Law?”

Biden appears to be “ considering” giving up his run for a second term. How do the Democrats transition to selecting a Biden successor?  The Democratic National Convention (DNC)  begins August 19th in Chicago, you can’t wait a month Biden could resign the presidency, Harris is sworn in and runs as an incumbent president. QuickContinue reading “Restoring Sanity: The Democratic Pathway to the White House”

“I don’t belong to an organized political party … I’m a democrat.”  Will Rogers The Democratic Party is in disarray with the Democratic Convention only a month away, donors and electeds are urging Biden to withdraw his candidacy while others wholeheartedly support the President.  The polls favor Trump and the gap appears to be widening. WhileContinue reading “Are We Prepared? How Will Teacher Unions Respond to a Trump Presidency and a Republican Congress?”

Buying a new tennis racket does not make you into a better player, nor new golf clubs into a better golfer. Malcolm Gladwell proffers it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice to reach expertise, Algebra 1 teachers will, maybe, receive two days in September. I asked a math guru about the new Algebra 1Continue reading “Teaching is an Art (not a Science), Teamwork and Guided Practice are the Keys”